The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) have reinforced their strategic partnership to advance trade facilitation, strengthen customs cooperation and accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), with renewed focus on one-stop border posts and regional transit systems to enhance intra-African commerce.
The renewed commitment was reaffirmed during a working visit by the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, Dr George Elombi, to the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, at the Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, 3 July 2026.
The high-level engagement provided both institutions with an opportunity to assess the progress of their collaboration while identifying new areas of cooperation aimed at promoting seamless cross-border trade, improving customs efficiency and advancing regional economic integration across the African continent.
Welcoming the Afreximbank delegation, Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi described the partnership as one anchored on a shared commitment to unlocking Africa’s economic potential through stronger trade among African nations. He noted that the collaboration had continued to deliver measurable results in customs modernisation and trade facilitation, particularly through initiatives designed to harmonise customs procedures and ease the movement of goods across borders.
“We are building a partnership between the two sides, a partnership founded on a single conviction: that Africa’s best trading partners are within Africa itself, and our prosperity will be built on the trade we conduct within ourselves. From C-PACT to our ongoing work on trade facilitation, we are turning that conviction into practical cooperation,” the CGC said.
Adeniyi disclosed that the strengthened partnership would support Afreximbank’s regional transit initiatives, accelerate the establishment of one-stop border posts along strategic trade corridors and encourage the adoption of global best practices to improve customs administration across the continent.
He revealed that the Nigeria Customs Service was already recording positive outcomes from the Bank’s support for regional transit systems, expressing confidence that the enhanced collaboration would further strengthen Africa’s competitiveness, reduce trade barriers and create greater opportunities for legitimate cross-border commerce.
Commending the Nigeria Customs Service for its visionary leadership, President of Afreximbank, Dr George Elombi, praised the Service’s proactive role in driving trade reforms and regional integration, describing its approach as a clear demonstration of institutional commitment to transforming Africa’s trading landscape.
“It is nice to see the CGC taking the initiative to drive this kind of engagement, which demonstrates a clear commitment to transforming trade across the continent. We have the resources, and you have the will. Together, we can make this partnership work for Africa,” Elombi said.
He reaffirmed Afreximbank’s readiness to expand its support for initiatives that facilitate trade, strengthen customs systems and accelerate the effective implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The meeting also reviewed the successful collaboration between both institutions on the maiden edition of the Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT), held in Abuja in November 2025. The landmark initiative brought together customs administrations, development partners and private sector stakeholders from across Africa to harmonise customs procedures, strengthen institutional capacity and improve connectivity within the continent’s trading ecosystem.
The renewed partnership underscores the shared resolve of the Nigeria Customs Service and Afreximbank to remove barriers to trade, enhance regional connectivity and position Africa to fully harness the opportunities presented by the AfCFTA through efficient customs administration and integrated trade facilitation systems.
